Russian Navy
The Russian Navy (Russian: Военно-Морской Флот (ВМФ) России- Voyenno-Morskoy Flot Rossii (VMF) or literally Military Maritime Fleet of Russia) is the naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. With a total tonnage of more than 10,500,000 tonnes, it is by far the second largest navy in the world, only behind the United States Navy. The present Russian Navy succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States which succeeded the Soviet Navy after the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War in 1991. The regular Imperial Russian Navy was originally established by Peter the Great (Peter I) in October of 1696. Ascribed to Peter I is the oft quoted statement: "A ruler that has but an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has both." The symbols of the Russian Navy, the St. Andrew's flag and ensign (seen to the right), and most of its traditions were established personally by Peter I. The Russian Navy possesses the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, and currently comprises the Northern Fleet, the Pacific Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet, the Baltic Fleet, the Caspian Flotilla, Naval Aviation, and the Coastal Troops (consisting of the Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops). Recently approved, a rearmament program until 2025 puts, for the first time in Soviet and Russian history, the development of the navy on an equal footing with strategic nuclear forces. The program covering the period until 2025 is expected to arm 90% of the military inventory in the army and navy. Out of 25.5 trillion rubles ($1 trillion) allocated for military rearmament, 25% will go into building new ships. "We are already building practically as many ships as we did in Soviet times," First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov said during a visit to Severodvinsk in July 2007, "The problem now is not lack of money, but how to optimize production so that the navy can get new ships three, not five, years after laying them down." The Russian Navy has suffered severely since the dissolution of the Soviet Union due to insufficient maintenance, lack of funding and hereby training of personnel and timely replacement of equipments. Another setback is attributed to Russia's domestic shipbuilding industry which is reported to have been in decline as to their capabilities of constructing contemporary hardware efficiently. Some analysts even say that because of this Russia's naval capabilities have been facing a slow but certain "irreversible collapse". The first aircraft carrier to ever be built since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the 100,000 tonnes [[RFS Shtorm-class aircraft carrier|RFS Shtorm]]-class supercarrier [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Shtorm|RFS Shtorm]], was commissioned into the Russian Navy in 2025, the ninth aircraft carrier to be operated by the Russian Navy alongside the two 70,000 tonnes [[RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov]]-class aircraft carriers [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov]] and [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Varyag|RFS Varyag]], the five modified 55,000 tonnes [[RFS Kiev-class aircraft carrier|RFS Kiev]]-class aircraft carriers [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Kiev|RFS Kiev]], [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Minsk|RFS Minsk]], [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Novorossiysk|RFS Novorossiysk]], [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov]] and [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Baku|RFS Baku]], and the two 85,000 tonnes [[RFS Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier|RFS Ulyanovsk]]-class supercarriers [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Ulyanovsk|RFS Ulyanovsk]] and [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Kremlin (RFS Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier)|RFS Kremlin]]. A tenth aircraft carrier, the 100,000 tonnes RFS Shtorm-class supercarrier [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Marshal Sovétskogo Soyuza Zhukov|RFS Marshal Sovétskogo Soyuza Zhukov]] is under construction as of 2025. Orgins The origins of the Russian navy may be traced to the period between the 4th and the 6th century, when Early East Slavs were engaged in a struggle against the Byzantine Empire. The first Slavic flotillas consisted of small sailing ships and rowboats, which had been seaworthy and able to navigate in riverbeds. In the 9th-12th century, there were flotillas in Kievan Rus' consisting of hundreds of vessels with one, two or three masts. The citizens of Novgorod are known to have conducted military campaigns in the Baltic Sea (e.g., the siege of Sigtuna in 1187). Lad'ya (ладья in Russian, or sea boat) was a typical boat used by the army of Novgorod (length - 30 m, width - 5 to 6 m, 2 or 3 masts, armament - battering rams and catapults, complement - 50 to 60 men). There were also smaller sailboats and rowboats, such as ushkuys (ушкуи) for sailing in rivers, lakes and skerries, kochis (кочи), and nosads (носады), used for cargo transportation. In the 16th-17th century, the Cossacks conducted military campaigns against the Crimean Khanate and Ottoman Empire, using sailboats and rowboats. The Don Cossacks called them strugs (струг). These boats were capable of transporting up to 80 men. The Cossack flotillas numbered 80 to 100 boats. The centralized Russian state had been fighting for its own access to the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov since the 17th century. By the end of this century, the Russians had accumulated some valuable experience in using riverboats together with land forces. Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich construction of the first three-masted ship to be built entirely within Russia was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein according to European design and was christened the Frederick. In 1667-1669, the Russians tried to build naval ships in a village of Dedinovo on the shores of the Oka River for the purpose of defending the trade routes along the Volga, which led to the Caspian Sea. In 1668, they built a 26-cannon ship Oryol (Орёл, or Eagle), a yacht, a boat with a mast and bowsprit and a few rowboats. During much of the seventeenth century Russian merchants and Cossacks, using koch boats, sailed across the White Sea, exploring the Rivers Lena, Kolyma and Indigirka, and founding settlements in the region of the upper Amur. Unquestionably the most celebrated Russian explorer was Semyon Dezhnev, who, in 1648, sailed the entire length of present-day Russia by way of the Arctic Ocean. Rounding the Chukotsk Peninsula, Dezhnev passed through the Bering Sea and sailed into the Pacific Ocean. Imperial Russian Navy Main article: Imperial Russian Navy The regular Russian Navy was created at the initiative of Peter the Great. During the Second Azov campaign of 1696 against Ottoman Empire, the Russians employed for the first time 2 warships, 4 fireships, 23 galleys and 1300 strugs, built on the Voronezh River. After the Azov fortress was taken, at Peter I's request the Boyar Duma understood the vital importance of a navy for successful warfare and passed a decree on commencing the construction of a regular navy on October 20, 1696. This date is considered the official birthday of the regular Russian Navy. Early on in his reign, Peter made a tour to western Europe, England, and Holland. In Holland, he became acquainted with the work of the mathematicians Hans Gouda, Dirk Raven, and Hans Isbrandtsen Hoogzaat, which sparked his enthusiasm for the value of mathematics. A major result of this tour was the hiring of large numbers of foreign specialists of various expertise, including mathematicians. Among those hired was Henry (or Harry) Farquharson, called in Russia Andrei Danilovich (Daniloff) Farkhvarson or Farvarson (1675–1739), who had taught mathematics and astronomy at the University of Aberdeen and was recommended by Halley and Jacob Daniel Bruce (1670–1735), while John Colson was hired to teach Bruce mathematics. Farquaharson’s task in Russia was to create and administer a Mathematics and Navigation School. It was under Farquharson’s guidance that he and Tsar Peter wrote the mathematics curriculum for the new school. He was accompanied by Stephen Gwyn (1684–1720) and Richard Grice (1682?–1709), who were graduates of the England’s Royal Mathematical School. In 1700 at Voronezh the first major ships launched for the fledgling Russian Navy - for use with the Azov Fleet — were the 58-gun Goto Predestinatsiya (God's Providence), the 80-gun Staryy Orel (Old Eagle), and the 70-gun Staryy Dub (Old Oak). During the Great Northern War of 1700-1721, the Russians built the Russian Baltic Fleet and the city of Saint Petersburg. In 1703-1723, the main base of the Baltic Fleet was located in Saint Petersburg and then in Kronshtadt. Other bases were later established in Vyborg, Helsingfors, Tallinn and Åbo. At first, Vladimirskiy Prikaz was in charge of shipbuilding. Later on, these functions were transferred to the Russian Admiralty. Basic principles of the Russian Navy, its educational and training methods, as well as methods for conducting military action were all summarized in the Naval Regulations устав (1720). Peter the Great, Feodor Apraksin, Alexey Senyavin, Naum Senyavin, Mikhail Golitsyn are generally credited for the development of the Russian art of naval warfare. Main principles of naval warfare were further developed by Grigoriy Spiridov, Feodor Ushakov, and Dmitriy Senyavin. The Russo-Turkish Wars of Catherine the Great resulted in the establishment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, with its bases in Sevastopol and Kherson. It was at that time that Russian warships started to venture into the Mediterranean on a regular basis. In 1770, Grigoriy Spiridov’s squadron gained supremacy in the Aegean Sea by destroying the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Chesma. After having advanced to the Danube, the Russians formed the Danube Military Flotilla for the purpose of guarding the Danube estuary from the Turks. During the Mediterranean expedition of 1799, Fyodor Ushakov single-handedly carved out the Greek Republic of Seven Islands, proceeding to clear from the French Corfu and all the Ionian islands. His squadron then blocked the French bases in Italy, notably Genoa and Ancona, and successfully assaulted Naples and Rome. Ushakov, proclaimed a patron saint of the Russian Navy in the 21st century, was succeeded in command by Dmitriy Senyavin who reasserted Russian control of the southern Adriatic, disrupted Dubrovnik's sea trade, and destroyed the Ottoman Fleet in the Battle of Athos (1807). Between 1803 and 1855, Russian sailors undertook over 40 circumnavigations and distant voyages, which played an important role in exploration of the Far East and culminated in Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen's discovery of Antarctica. Notwithstanding these triumphs, Russia’s slow technical and economic development in the first half of the 19th century caused her to fall behind other world powers in the field of steamboat construction. It was in 1826 that the Russians built their first armed steamboat ''Izhora''. At the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853, steamships were few and sailing ships heavily predominated. The Battle of Sinope, won by Pavel Nakhimov, is remembered in history as the last significant naval battle involving sailing ships. During the Siege of Sevastopol in 1854-1855, Russian sailors set an example of using all means possible for defending their base from land and sea. Although the Russians introduced modern naval mining in the Baltic and repelled the Siege of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy in the Pacific, Sevastopol was finally surrendered on honourable terms. In accordance with the Treaty of Paris, Russia lost its right to have a military fleet in the Black Sea. As a consequence, the Russian sailing fleet lost its significance and was rapidly replaced by steamboats, including the first steel armored gunship Opyt and one of the first seafaring ironclads ''Pyotr Velikiy''. On January 16, 1877 Admiral Stepan Makarov became the first to launch torpedoes from a boat in combat. He also proposed the idea and oversaw the construction of the world's first ocean-going icebreaker "Yermak", commanding it in two Arctic expeditions in 1899 and 1901. At about the same time, Aleksey Krylov elaborated the modern floodability theory. The Russian Navy was considered the third strongest in the world on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, which turned to be a catastrophe for the Russian military in general and the Russian Navy in particular. Although neither party lacked courage, the Russians were defeated by the Japanese in the Battle of Port Arthur, which was the first time in warfare that mines were used for offensive purposes. The warships of the Russian Baltic Fleet sent to the Far East were lost in the Battle of Tsushima. Soon after the war Russia devoted a significant portion of its military spending to an ambitious shipbuilding program aimed at replacing lost warships with modern dreadnoughts. During World War I, the fleets played a limited role in the Eastern Front, due to heavy defensive and offensive mining on both sides. Characteristically, the Black Sea Fleet succeeded in mining the Bosporus, thus preventing the Ottoman Fleet from entering the Black Sea. After the revolution forced Russia to quit the war, the Baltic Fleet was evacuated from Helsinki and Tallinn to Kronshtadt during the Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet and many of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet found their last refuge in Bizerte. Soviet Navy Main article: Soviet Navy For the most part, Russian sailors welcomed the Russian Revolution of 1917, in which they participated. Earlier, in 1905, sailors of the Imperial Russian battleship ''Potemkin'' in the Black Sea Navy revolted. In 1906 rebellious soldiers gained control of some Helsinki coastal fortifications during events known as the Viapori Rebellion, which was subsequently put down, following bombardments from ships of the Baltic Fleet which remained loyal to the Tsarist government. The first ship of the Soviet Navy could be considered to be the rebellious Imperial Russian cruiser ''Aurora'', whose blank shot from a forecastle gun signaled the October Revolution. In March 1921, the sailors of Kronshtadt rebelled against the Bolsheviks, demanding freedom of speech and closing of concentration camps, but this belated revolt was ruthlessly suppressed by Leon Trotsky. After the Revolution, the Navy's restoration was slow, and only with the beginning of industrialisation in 1930 was a large shipbuilding program developed, but not accomplished before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. As a result, the Soviet Navy during World War II consisted of some old World War I-era ships, some modern pre-war built cruisers and destroyers, and a number of torpedo boats. Unfortunately for the Soviets, much of their fleet on the Baltic Sea was blocked in Leningrad and Kronshtadt by Finnish and German minefields during 1941–1944 and maimed by mines and air attacks, nevertheless numerous sorties by attack boats and submarines actions were held. On the Black sea with the loss of main naval base - Sevastopol, and effective actions of axis aviation as well as minefields navy limited the efficiency of large surface ships. The Northern Fleet, composed mostly of destroyers (World War I Novik-class and more modern project 7 and 7u vessels), played a major role in anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defence of allied convoys heading to Murmansk. During the Cold War, the Soviets gave their navy a number of missions, in addition to its role as one of the legs of the nuclear triad, the navy was supposed to destroy American SSBNs and carrier groups, interdict NATO lines of communications, and assist the ground forces in continental theatre offensives. They were quick to equip their surface fleet with missiles of various sorts. In fact, it became a hallmark of Soviet design to place large anti-ship missiles onto relatively small and fast missile boats. The Soviet Navy also possessed several very large guided missile cruisers with great firepower, such as those of the RFS Kirov-class guided-missile batlecruisers and the [[RFS Slava class cruiser|RFS Slava]]-class guided-missile cruisers. In the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s the Soviet Navy acquired several helicopter and aircraft carriers; [[RFS Moskva-class helicopter carrier|RFS Moskva]]-class helicopter carrier, RFS Kiev-class heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers, [[RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov]]-class aircraft carriers and [[RFS Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier|RFS Ulyanovsk]]-class supercarrier. In some respects, including speed and reactor technology later Soviet submarines were, and remain, some of the world's best. Their primary shortcomings were insufficient noise damping (American boats were quieter) and sonar technology. The Soviets possessed numerous purpose-built guided missile submarines, such as the [[RFS Oscar-class submarine|RFS Oscar]]-class, as well as many ballistic missile submarines, such as the [[RFS Delta-class submarine|RFS Delta]]-class, and attack submarines, such as the [[RFS Victor-class submarine|RFS Victor]]-class and [[RFS Akula-class submarine|RFS Akula]]-class. The Soviet Navy's [[RFS Typhoon-class submarine|RFS Typhoon]]-class submarines are the world's largest submarines ever built. The Soviet attack submarine force was, like the rest of the navy, geared towards the interception of NATO convoys, but also targeted American aircraft carrier battle groups. Modern Russian Navy The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a severe decline in the Russian Navy. Defense expenditure peaked at $290 billion in 1990-91, the second highest in the world. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, defense expenditure was severely reduced. Many ships were scrapped or laid up as accommodation ships at naval bases, and the building program was essentially stopped. However Sergey Gorshkov's buildup during the Soviet period had emphasised ships over support facilities, and Gorshkov had also retained ships in service that were beyond their effective lifetimes, so a reduction was due anyway. What made matters worse was the impractical variety of vessels which the Soviet military-industrial complex, with the support of the leadership, forced on the navy - taking modifications into account, the Soviet Navy in the mid 1980s had nearly 250 different ship types. The [[RFS Kiev-class aircraft carrier|RFS Kiev]]-class heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers and many other ships were prematurely retired and put in reserve, and building at the incomplete [[RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov]]-class aircraft carrier [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Varyag|RFS Varyag]] was eventually stopped, but construction resumed in 1995 as the ship was transferred to Arkhangelsk for fitting out. Also, the construction of [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Ulyanovsk|RFS Ulyanovsk]], which was intended to be the first of a class of Soviet supercarriers and laid down in November 1988 was halted in 1991 when it was 20% complete; construction resumed in 1993. RFS Ulyanovsk was finally commissioned in 2004. A follow-up to RFS Ulyanovsk, [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Kremlin (RFS Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier)|RFS Kremlin]], was ordered shortly after construction on RFS Ulyanovsk resumed. She was laid down in late 1995, launched in 2000 and entered sea trials in 2004; she was commissioned into the Russian Navy in 2005 and became the flagship of the Pacific Fleet. Funds were only allocated for the completion of ships ordered prior to the collapse of the USSR, as well as for refits and repairs on fleet ships taken out of service since. However, the construction times for these ships tended to stretch out extensively: in 2003 it was reported that the Akula class SSN Nerpa had been under construction for fifteen years. Storage of decommissioned nuclear submarines in ports such as Murmansk became a significant issue, with the Bellona Foundation reporting details of lowered readiness. Naval bases outside Russia, such as Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, were gradually closed, with the exception of the bases in the Crimea, leased from Ukraine to support the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and the modest technical support base in Tartus, Syria to support ships deployed to the Mediterranean. Naval Aviation declined as well from its height as Russian Naval Aviation, dropping from an estimated 60,000 personnel with some 1,100 combat aircraft in 1992 to 35,000 personnel with around 270 combat aircraft in 2006. In 2002, out of 584 naval aviation crews only 156 were combat ready, and 77 ready for night flying. Average annual flying time was 21.7 hours, compared to 24 hours in 1999. However since 2002 these figures have vastly improved. By 2020, the figure had increased to an impressive 150,000 personnel with more than 3,000 combat aircraft. Rapid economic growth rates made greater defense expenditure possible, which grew to $310 billion in 2010 and $540 billion in 2015, respectively. Both figures surpassed the 1990-91 levels. Training and readiness also suffered severely. In 1995 only two missile submarines at a time were being maintained on station, from the Northern and Pacific Fleets. The decline culminated in the loss of the RFS Oscar II-class submarine [[Russian submarine RFS Kursk|RFS Kursk]] during the Northern Fleet summer exercise that was intended to back up the publication of a new naval doctrine in 2000. The exercise, involving some 30 submarines and surface ships, was to have culminated with the deployment of the [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov]] task group to the Mediterranean. As of 2006, the Russian Navy has 50 nuclear submarines with only 26 operational compared to 170 vessels in 1991. The Navy plans to reduce the number to 20 submarines, including ten strategic missile submarines and ten multi-purpose (attack) submarines, according to unofficial reports. As of February 2008, the Russian Navy had 44 nuclear submarines with 24 operational; 19 diesel-electric submarines - 16 operational; and 56 first and second rank surface combatants - 37 operational. Despite this improvement, the November 2008 accident on board the Akula-class attack boat Nerpa during sea trials before lease to India represents a concern for the future. In 2009, Admiral Popov (Ret.), former commander of the Russian Northern Fleet, said that the Russian Navy will greatly decline in combat capabilities by 2025 if the current rate of new ship construction remains unchanged, due to the retirement of ocean going ships. In response to that, the newly formed state-controlled United Shipbuilding Corporation made preparations for new massive shipyards to be constructed at Admiralty Shipyard (former Soviet Shipyard No. 194) and at Baltic Shipyard (former Soviet Shipyard No. 189), both in Saint Petersburg, at Zvezda SevMash Baltic Zaliv Rosta Dalzavod Vostok Raffles and at SevMash, both in Severodvinsk and at the Zvezda Shipyard in the Russian Far East in order to improve its capabilites to build larger warships. Construction on the 100,000-tonnes [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Shtorm|RFS Shtorm]], the lead ship of her class and the first of a new class of Russian supercarriers began at the Admiralty Shipyard in 2019, as rapid economic growth rates made it possible for the construction of new warships to commence. A second supercarrier, [[Russian aircraft carrier RFS Marshal Sovétskogo Soyuza Zhukov|RFS Marshal Sovétskogo Soyuza Zhukov]] was laid down shortly after at the Baltic Shipyard. This marked the first time a country could build multiple nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at the same time, as Russia became the only country in the world capable of building multiple nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at the same time. As of January 2025, the Russian Navy operated 135 nuclear submarines, figures that have improved vastly since the late 2000s as Russia reemerged as a recognized global superpower. Structure See also: List of ships of the Russian Navy The headquarters of the Russian Navy (Russian Navy Main Staff) is located in Moscow. Russian naval man power is a mixture of conscripts serving one year terms and volunteers (Officers and Ratings). In 2025 the IISS accounted for 900,000 personnel in the Russian Navy. As of 2008 the conscription term was reduced to one year and a major downsizing reorganization was underway. In 2008, plans were announced to move the headquarters to the Admiralty in Saint Petersburg, the historic location of the headquarters of the Imperial Russian Navy. The Russian Navy consists of four fleets and one flotilla subordinated to 3 of 4 of the newly formed Joint Strategic Commands: Western Military District - Western Joint Strategic Command Northern Fleet Main article: Russian Northern Fleet The Russian Northern Fleet, established as a modern formation in 1933, is headquartered at Severomorsk and spread around various bases in the Murmansk area. This is the largest and main fleet of the Russian Navy and as currently consists of; *[[RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov-class]] aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser” (1) *[[RFS Kiev-class aircraft carrier|RFS Kiev-class]] aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (3) *[[RFS Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier|RFS Ulyanovsk-class]] supercarrier/aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (1) *[[RFS Shtorm-class aircraft carrier|RFS Shtorm-class]] supercarrier/aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (1) *[[RFS Stalingrad-class battlecruiser|RFS Stalingrad-class]] guided-missile super battlecruiser (2) *[[RFS Kirov-class battlecruiser|RFS Kirov-class]] guided-missile battlecruiser (3) *[[RFS Slava class cruiser|RFS Slava-class]] guided-missile cruiser (1) *[[RFS Udaloy class destroyer|RFS Udaloy-class]] guided-missile destroyer (5) *[[RFS Sovremennyy-class destroyer|RFS Sovremennyy-class]] guided-missile destroyer (2) *[[RFS Delta IV class submarine|RFS Delta IV-class]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (6) *[[RFS Typhoon class submarine|RFS Typhoon-class]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (3) *[[RFS Oscar-class submarine|RFS Oscar-class submarine]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (3) *[[RFS Sierra-class submarine|RFS Sierra-class]] ballistic missile submarine (2) *[[RFS Akula-class submarine|RFS Akula-class]] attack submarine (6) *[[RFS Victor-class submarine|RFS Victor-class]] ballistic missile submarine (4) *[[RFS Kilo-class submarine|RFS Kilo-class]] attack submarine (6) *[[RFS Borei-class submarine|RFS Borei-class]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (2) The Fleet also includes many corvettes, patrol ships, light amphibious ships and support and logistic ships. Baltic Fleet Main article: Russian Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet, established on 18 May 1703, is based in Baltiysk and Kronshtadt, with its headquarters in the city of Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad Oblast. This is the oldest Russian Navy formation and the Fleet also consists of; *[[RFS K-1000 Sovetsky Soyuz-class battleship|RFS K-1000 Sovetsky Soyuz-class]] guided-missile super battleship (3) *[[RFS Sovremennyy class destroyer|RFS Sovremennyy-class]] guided-missile destroyer (2) *[[RFS Burevestnik-class frigate|RFS Burevestnik-class]] frigate (1) *[[RFS Neustrashimy-class frigate|RFS Neustrashimy-class]] frigate (2) *[[RFS Kilo-class submarine|RFS Kilo-class]] attack submarine (2) *[[RFS Lada-class submarine|RFS Lada-class]] submarine (1) The Russian Baltic Fleet also includes many corvettes, patrol ships, minehunters, light amphibious war ships and support ships. Southern Military District - Southern Joint Strategic Command The Black Sea Fleet Main article: Russian Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet, established on 2 May 1783 and is based at the Sevastopol, Karantinnaya, and Streletskaya Bays in Sevastopol which is also the location of its headquarters, and at Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Kray. The fleet also has various other leased facilities on the Crimean Peninsula and facilities in Krasnodar Kray. This is the main helicopter carrier fleet and the Fleet consists of; *[[RFS K-1000 Sovetsky Soyuz-class battleship|RFS K-1000 Sovetsky Soyuz-class]] guided-missile super battleship (3) *[[RFS Moskva-class helicopter carrier|RFS Moskva-class]] helicopter carrier or "helicopter-carrying cruiser" (3) *[[RFS Slava class cruiser|RFS Slava-class]] guided-missile cruiser (1) *[[RFS Kara class cruiser|RFS Kara-class]] guided-missile cruiser (1) *[[RFS Kirov-class cruiser|RFS Kirov-class]] guided-missile cruiser (2) *[[RFS Kashin-class destroyer|RFS Kashin-class]] guided-missile destroyer (1) *[[RFS Burevestnik-class frigate|RFS Burevestnik-class]] guided-missile frigate (2) *[[RFS Kilo-class submarine|RFS Kilo-class]] attack submarine (1) The Fleet also includes a small number of corvettes, patrol and coastal protection ships. Caspian Flotilla Main article: Russian Caspian Flotilla The Caspian Flotilla, established on 4 November 1722, is based in Astrakhan and Makhachkala with its headquarters in Astrakhan. This is the smallest Russian Navy formation but still a powerful naval force and the Fleet consists of; *[[RFS K-1000 Sovetsky Soyuz-class battleship|RFS K-1000 Sovetsky Soyuz-class]] guided-missile super battleship (1) *[[RFS Tartarstan/Gepard-class frigate|RFS Tartarstan/''Gepard''-class]] guided-missile frigate (1) The Fleet also includes a small number of corvettes and patrol ships. Eastern Military District - Eastern Joint Strategic Command Pacific Fleet Main article: Russian Pacific Fleet The Pacific Fleet, established on 10 May 1731 and is headquartered in Vladivostok and based around Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. This is the second largest Russian Navy formation and the fleet consists of; *[[RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier|RFS Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov-class]] aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (1) *[[RFS Kiev-class aircraft carrier|RFS Kiev-class]] aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (2) *[[RFS Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier|RFS Ulyanovsk-class]] supercarrier/aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (1) *[[RFS Shtorm-class aircraft carrier|RFS Shtorm-class]] supercarrier/aircraft carrier or "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" (1) *[[RFS Stalingrad-class battlecruiser|RFS Stalingrad-class]] guided-missile super battlecruiser (2) *[[RFS Kirov-class battlecruiser|RFS Kirov-class]] guided-missile battlecruiser (2) *[[RFS Slava class cruiser|RFS Slava-class]] guided-missile cruiser (1) *[[RFS Sovremennyy-class destroyer|RFS Sovremennyy-class]] guided-missile destroyer (1) *[[RFS Udaloy-class destroyer|RFS Udaloy-class]] guided-missile destroyer (4) *[[RFS Typhoon-class submarine|RFS Typhoon-class]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (3) *[[RFS Delta III-class submarine|RFS Delta III-class]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (3) *[[RFS Oscar-class submarine|RFS Oscar-class]] intercontinental ballistic missile submarine (2) *[[RFS Akula-class submarine|RFS Akula-class]] attack submarine (5) *[[RFS Kilo-class submarine|RFS Kilo-class]] attack submarine (7) The Russian Pacific Fleet also includes coastal combatants such as corvettes and patrol ships, mine warfare vessels, support and logistic ships and light amphibious ships. Modernization The recent improvement in the Russian economy has led to a significant rise in defence expenditure and an increase in numbers of ships under construction, focusing on submarines, such as the conventional [[RFS Saint Petersburg-class submarine|RFS Saint Petersburg-class submarine]] and nuclear [[RFS Severodvinsk-class submarine|RFS Severodvinsk-class submarine]]. Some older ships have been refitted as well. Jane's Fighting Ships commented in 2004 that the construction programme was too focused on Cold War scenarios, given the submarine emphasis. The [[RFS Steregushchiy-class corvette|RFS Steregushchiy-class corvettes]], the lead ship of which was laid down on 21 December 2001, is the first new surface construction since the collapse of the Soviet Union, while the new [[RFS Admiral Sergei Gorshkov-class frigate|RFS Admiral Sergei Gorshkov-class frigates]] marks the first attempt of the Navy to return to the construction of large blue water capable vessels. Three new SSBNs are now under construction, (the [[RFS Borei-class submarine|RFS Borei-class submarine]]), but the first has been under construction since 1996- its completion was expected in 2008. The lead Dolgorukiy-class unit Yuriy Dolgorukiy was launched in April 2007 and began sea trials in June 2009. The fourth unit is scheduled to be laid down in 2010. The mainstay of the SSBN force, the Delta IV''s, joined the fleet in 1985-91. While the service life of an SSBN normally is twenty to twenty-five years, without maintenance, it may be as short as ten to fifteen years. Russian officials have been negotiating a purchase of four Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. On 24 May 2010, the Russian Defense Minister said that Russia was in pre-contract discussions with Spain, Netherlands, and France on purchasing four Mistral-type ships. It was planned to have one ship built abroad, two with the participation of Russian shipbuilders, and at least one built in a Russian shipyard. The Defense Minister also said that the first ships of this type would be based in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. On December 24, 2010 the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev announced France as the winner of a tender to build four Mistral class amphibious assault ships for Russia. On April 28, 2010, The Ukrainian parliament ratified an agreement to lease the port of Sevastopol past the year 2017. Russia's Crimean naval leases were extended to 2042 with an option for five more years, through 2047. An extensive rearmament program announced February 25, 2011 sees the Russian Defense Ministry procuring 100 warships by 2020. The purchase of 20 submarines, 35 corvettes and 15 frigates was planned. The nature of the other 30 ships was as yet unknown. The Black Sea Fleet had received 18 new surface ships and submarines, including [[RFS Kilo-class submarine|RFS ''Kilo-class]] diesel submarines, [[RFS Admiral Grigorovich class frigate|RFS Admiral Grigorovich-class]] frigates, [[RFS Admiral Sergey Gorshkov class frigate|RFS Admiral Sergey Gorshkov-class]] frigates, and [[RFS Ivan Gren-class landing ship|RFS Ivan Gren-class ]]landing ships. There were also plans to lay down project 21631 small missile boats and [[RFS Steregushchy class corvette|RFS Steregushchy-class]] corvettes. This state arms program also provides funds for the purchase of two ''Mistral''-class amphibious assault ships, [[Russian amphibious assault ship RFS Vladivostok (Mistral-class amphibious assault ship)|RFS Vladivostok]] and [[Russian amphibious assault ship RFS Sevastopol (Mistral-class amphibious assault ship)|RFS Sevastopol]]. In 2005 it was announced that the Russian Navy planned a class of two to four new aircraft carriers which could start construction in 2013-14 for initial service entry in 2017. Jane's said it was not clear whether 'this was a funded programme'. In mid-2007 the new Navy chief announced plans to reform the country's naval forces and build a blue-water navy with the world's second largest fleet of aircraft carriers, aiming to create 6 aircraft carrier strike groups in the next 20 years. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated in 2008 that Russia intended to build nuclear aircraft carriers in the next decade. However Russia didn't had a facility capable of building aircraft carriers as of 2008. On August 2, 2010, Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky stressed their importance "If, for example, we do not have an aircraft carrier in the North, the battle capability of the Northern Fleet's guided-missile submarines will be reduced to zero after Day One because the submarines' principal adversary is aviation". Speaking in Saint Petersburg, Russia on 30 June 2011, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation said his company expected to begin design work for a new carrier in 2016, with a goal of beginning construction in 2018 and having the carrier achieve initial operational capability by 2023. Several months later, on 3 November 2011 the Russian newspaper Izvestiya reported the naval building plan now included (first) the construction of a new shipyard capable of building large hull ships, after which Moscow had to build two 100,000 tonnes nuclear-powered aircraft carriers by 2027. The spokesperson said one carrier would be assigned to the Russian Navy's Russian Northern Fleet at Murmansk, and the second would be stationed with the Russian Pacific Fleet at Vladivostok. In 2013, President Dmitry Medvedev stated that Russia by 2019 would be capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Expeditions and increase in activity